decline of science in england-第23章

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rance；　should　be　thus　negligent　in　the　regularity　of　its　publications；　and　it　is　the　more　to　be　regretted；　that　it　should　be　years　in　arrear；　from　the　circumstance；　that　the　memoirs　admitted　into　their　collection　are　usually　of　the　highest　merit。　　I　know　some　of　their　most　active　members　have　wished　it　were　otherwise；　I　would　urge　them　to　put　a　stop　to　a　practice；　which；　whilst　it　has　no　advantages　to　recommend　it；　is　unjust　to　those　who　contribute；　and　is　only　calculated　to　produce　conflicting　claims；　equally　injurious　to　science；　and　to　the　reputation　of　that　body；　whose　negligence　may　have　given　rise　to　them。　　＇Mr。　Herschel；　speaking　of　a　paper　of　Fresnel's；　observes〃This　memoir　was　read　to　the　Institute；　7th　of　October；　1816；　a　supplement　was　received；　19th　of　January；　1818；　M。　Arago's　report　on　it　was　read；　4th　of　June；　1821：　and　while　every　optical　philosopher　in　Europe　has　been　impatiently　expecting　its　appearance　for　seven　years；　it　lies　as　yet　unpublished；　and　is　only　known　to　us　by　meagre　notices　in　a　periodical　journal。〃MR　HERSCHEL'S　TREATISE　ON　LIGHT；　p。　533。　ENCYCLOPAEDIA　METROPOLITANA。＇

One　of　the　inconveniences　arising　from　having　no　historical　portion　in　the　volumes　of　the　Royal　Society　is；　that　not　only　the　public；　but　our　own　members　are　almost　entirely　ignorant　of　all　its　affairs。　　With　a　means　of　giving　considerable　publicity　（by　the　circulation　of　above　800　copies　of　the　Transactions）　to　whatever　we　wish　to　have　made　known　to　our　members　or　to　the　world；　will　it　be　credited；　that　no　notice　was　taken　in　our　volume　for　1826；　of　the　foundation　of　two　Royal　medals；　nor　of　the　conditions　under　which　they　were　to　be　distributed。　　＇That　the　Council　refrained　from　having　their　first　award　of　those　medals　thus　communicated；　is　rather　creditable　to　them；　and　proves　that　they　had　a　becoming　feeling　respecting　their　former　errors。＇　　That　in　1828；　when　a　new　fund；　called　the　donation　fund；　was　established；　and　through　the　liberality　of　Dr。　Wollaston　and　Mr。　Davies　Gilbert；　it　was　endowed　by　them　with　the　respective　sums　of　2；000L。　　and　1；000L。　　3　per　cents；　no　notice　of　such　fact　appears　in　our　Transactions　for　1829。　　Other　gentlemen　have　contributed；　and　if　it　is　desirable　to　possess　such　a　fund；　it　is　surely　of　importance　to　inform　the　non…attending；　which　is　by　far　the　largest　part　of　the　Society；　that　it　exists；　and　that　we　are　grateful　to　those　by　whom　it　has　been　founded　and　augmented。　Neither　did　the　Philosophical　Transactions　inform　our　absent　members；　that　they　could　purchase　the　President's　Discourses　at　the　trade…price。

The　list　of　the　Officers；　Council；　and　Members　of　the　Royal　Society　is　printed　annually；　yet；　who　ever　saw　it　bound　up　with　the　Philosophical　Transactions；　to　which　it　is　intended　to　be　attached？　I　never　met　with　a　single　copy　of　that　work　so　completed；　not　even　the　one　in　our　own　library。　　It　is　extremely　desirable　that　the　Society　should　know　the　names　of　their　Council；　and　whilst　it　would　in　some　measure　contribute　to　prevent　the　President　from　placing　incompetent　persons　upon　it；　it　would　also　afford　some　check；　although　perhaps　but　a　slight　one；　on　the　distribution　of　the　medals。　　When　I　have　urged　the　expediency　of　the　practice；　I　have　been　answered　by　excuses；　that　the　list　could　not　be　made　up　in　time　for　the　volume。　　If　this　is　true　of　the　first　part；　they　might　appear　with　the　second；　and　even　if　this　were　impracticable；　the　plan　of　prefixing　them　to　the　volume　of　the　succeeding　year；　would　be　preferable　to　that　of　omitting　them　altogether。　　The　true　reason；　however；　appeared　at　last。　　It　was　objected　to　the　plan；　that　by　the　present　arrangement；　the　porter　of　the　Royal　Society　took　round　the　list　to　those　members　resident　in　London；　and　got　from　some　of　them　a　remuneration；　in　the　shape　of　a　Christmas…box；　and　this　would　be　lost；　if　the　time　of　printing　were　changed。　＇During　the　printing　of　this　chapter；　a　friend；　on　whom　I　had　called；　complained　that　the　porter　of　the　Royal　Society　had　demanded　half…a…crown　for　leaving　the　list。＇　　Such　are　the　paltry　interests　to　which　those　of　the　Royal　Society　are　made　to　bow。

Another　point　on　which　information　ought　to　be　given　in　each　volume；　is　the　conditions　on　which　the　distribution　of　the　Society's　medals　are　made。　　It　is　true　that　these　are；　or　ought　to　be；　printed　with　the　Statutes　of　the　Society；　but　that　volume　is　only　in　the　hands　of　members；　and　it　is　for　the　credit　of　the　medals　themselves；　that　the　laws　which　regulate　their　award　should　be　widely　known；　in　order　that　persons；　not　members　of　the　Society；　might　enter　into　competition　for　them。

Information　relative　to　the　admissions　and　deaths　amongst　the　Society　would　also　be　interesting；　a　list　of　the　names　of　those　whom　the　Society　had　lost；　and　of　those　members　who　had　been　added　to　its　ranks　each　year；　would　find　a　proper　place　in　the　historical　pages　which　ought　to　be　given　with　each　volume　of　our　Transactions。

The　want　of　a　distinction　between　the　working　members　of　the　Society；　and　those　who　merely　honour　it　with　their　patronage；　renders　many　arrangements；　which　would　be　advantageous　to　science；　in　some　cases；　injudicious；　and　in　other　instances；　almost　impossible。

Collections　of　Observations　which　are　from　time　to　time　given　to　the　Society；　may　be　of　such　a　nature；　that　but　few　of　the　members　are　interested　in　them。　　In　such　cases；　the　expense　of　printing　above　800　copies　may　reasonably　induce　the　Council　to　decline　printing　them　altogether；　whereas；　if　they　had　any　means　of　discrimination　for　distributing　them；　they　might　be　quite　willing　to　incur　the　expense　of　printing　250。　　Other　cases　may　occur；　in　which　great　advantage　would　accrue；　if　the　principle　were　once　admitted。　　Government；　the　Universities；　public　bodies；　and　even　individuals　might；　in　some　cases；　be　disposed　to　present　to　the　Royal　Society　a　limited　number　of　copies　of　their　works；　if　they　knew　that　they　were　likely　to　be　placed　in　the　hands　of　persons　who　would　use　them。　Fifty　or　a　hundred　additional　copies　might；　in　some　cases；　not　be　objected　to　on　the　ground　of　expense；　when　seven　or　eight　hundred　would　be　quite　out　of　the　question。

Let　us　suppose　twenty　copies　of　a　description　of　some　new　chemical　process　to　be　placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　Royal　Society　by　any　public　body；　it　will　not　surely　be　contended　that　they　ought　all　to　remain　on　the　Society's　shelves。　Yet；　with　our　present　rules；　that　would　be　the　case。　　If；　however；　the　list　of　the　Members　of　the　Society　were　read　over　to　the　Council；　and　the　names　of　those　gentlemen　known　to　be　conversant　with　chemical　science　were　written　down；　then；　if　nineteen　copies　of　the　work　were　given　to　those　nineteen　persons　on　this　list；　who　had　contributed　most　to　the　Transactions　of　the　Society；　they　would　in　all　probability　be　placed　in　the　fittest　hands。

Complete　sets　of　the　Philosophical　Transactions　have　now　become　extremely　bulky；　it　might　be　well　worth　our　consideration；　whether　the　knowledge　of　the　many　valuable　papers　they　contain　would　not　be　much　spread；　by　publishing　the　abstracts　of　them　which　have　been　read　at　the　ordinary　meetings　of　the　Society。　Perhaps　two　or　three　volumes　octavo；　would　contain　all　that　has　been　done　in　this　way　during　the　last　century。

Another　circumstance；　which　would　contribute　much　to　the　order　of　the　proceedings　of　the　Council；　would　be　to　have　a　distinct　list　made　out　of　all　the　statutes　and　orders　of　the　Council　relating　to　each　particular　subject。

Thus　the　President；　by　having　at　one　view　before　him　all　that　had　ever　been　decreed　on　the　question　under　consideration；　would　be　much　better　able　to　prevent　inconsistent　resolutions；　and　to　save　the　time　of　the　Council　from　being　wasted　by　unnecessary　discussions。


SECTION　6。

ORDER　OF　MERIT。

Amongst　the　various　proposals　for　encouraging　science；　the　institution　of　an　order　of　merit　has　been　suggested。　　It　is　somewhat　singular；　that　whilst　in　most　of　the　other　kingdoms　of　Europe；　such　orders　exist　for　the　purpose　of　rewarding；　by　honorary　distinctions；　the　improvers　of　the　arts　of　life；　or　successful　discoverers　in　science；　nothing　of　the　kind　has　been　established　in　England。　　＇At　the　great　meeting　of　the　philosophers　at　Berlin；　in　1828；　of　which　an　account　is　given　in　the　Appendix；　the　respect　in　which　Berzelius；　Oersted；　Gauss；　and　Humboldt　were　held　in　their　respective　countries　was　apparent　in　the　orders　bestowed　on　them　by　the　Sovereigns　of　Sweden；　of　Denmark；　of　Hanover；　and　of　Prussia；　and　there　were　present　many　other　philosophers；　whose　decorations　sufficiently　attested　the　respect　in　which　science　was　held　in　the　countries　from　which　they　came。＇

Our　orders　of　knighthood　are　favourable　only　to　military　distinction。　　It　has　been　urged；　as　an　argument　for　such　institutions；　that　they　are　a　cheap　mode　of　rewarding　science；　whilst；　on　the　other　hand；　it　has　been　objected；　that　they　would　diminish　the　value　of　such　honorary　distinctions　by　making　them　common。　　The　latter　objection　is　of　little　weight；　because　the　numbers　who　pursue　science　are　few；　and；　probably；　will　long　continue　so。　　It　would　also　be　easily　avoided；　by　restricting　the　number　of　the　order　or　of　the　class；　if　it　were　to　form　a　peculiar　class　of　another　order。　　Another　objection；　however；　appears　to　me　to　possess　far　greater　weight；　and；　however　strong　the　disposition　of　the　Government　might　be　（if　such　an　order　existed）　to　fill　it　properly；　I　do　not　believe　that；　in　the　present　state　of　public　opinion　respecting　science；　it　could　be　done；　and；　in　all　probability；　it　would　be　filled　up　through　the　channels　of　patronage；　and　by　mere　jobbers　in　science。

Another　proposal；　of　a　similar　kind；　has　also　been　talked　of；　one　which　it　may　appear　almost　ridiculous　to　suggest　in　England；　but　which　would　be　considered　so　in　no　other　country。　It　is；　to　ennoble　some　of　the　greatest　scientific　benefactors　of　their　country。　　Not　to　mention　political　causes；　the　ranks　of　the　nobility　are　constantly　recruited　from　the　army；　the　navy；　and　the　bar；　why　should　not　the　family　of　that　man；　whose　name　is　imperishably　connected　with　the　steam…engine；　be　enrolled　amongst　the　nobility　of　his　country？　　In　utility　and　profit；　not　merely　to　that　country；　but　to　the　human　race；　his　deeds　may　proudly　claim　comparison　even　with　the　most　splendid　of　those　achieved　by　classes　so　rich　in　glorious　recollections。　　An　objection；　in　most　cases　fatal　to　such　a　course；　arises　from　the　impolicy　of　conferring　a　title；　unless　a　considerable　fortune　exists　to　support　it；　a　circumstance　very　rarely　occurring　to　the　philosopher。　　It　might　in　some　measure　be　removed；　by　creating　such　titles　only　for　life。　But　here；　again；　until　there　existed　some　knowledge　of　science　amongst　the　higher　classes；　and　a　sound　state　of　public　opinion　relative　to　science；　the　execution　of　the　plan　could　only　be　injurious。


SECTION　7。

OF　THE　UNION　OF　SCIENTIFIC　SOCIETIES。

This　idea　has　occurred　to　several　persons；　as　likely　to　lead　to　considerable　advantages　to　science。　　If　the　various　scientific　societies　could　unite　in　the　occupation　of　one　large　building；　considerable　economy　would　result　from　the　union。　　By　properly　arranging　their　evenings　of　meeting；　one　meeting…room　only　need　be　required。　　The　libraries　might　either　be　united；　or　arranged　i